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Commentary: When someone screams, do something

Cleveland resident Charles Ramsey set an important example for our society to take note of when he heard a woman screaming and decided to act upon her pleas for help.

Courageously, Ramsey became a shining example of being an “active bystander” when he helped Amanda Berry kick out a locked screen door of the home, ultimately freeing three long-missing Cleveland, Ohio, women who been imprisoned for 10 years.

Twenty-three years ago, while attending an Atlanta conference, I, too, was taken hostage. As I was exiting my hotel room, a knife-wielding man attacked me in the interior hotel corridor. I was forced into my hotel room where I was robbed and sexually assaulted. Police reports later showed my screams were heard by other hotel guests, but no one called security.

No one intervened.

No one “acted” on my behalf.

As the media continues to explore how the Cleveland women’s captivity went undetected for a decade, I want to stress the importance of bystanders and what they can do.

Bystanders represent a large community of people surrounding the progression of inappropriate behaviors, harassment and violence.

Bystanders have a choice: To be active bystanders who speak up and say something, or to remain passive bystanders who stand by and say nothing.

Although the Cleveland kidnappings represent the extreme, there are a multitude of situations where bystanders can intervene. They include bullying, when sexist comments or racial slurs are made, harassment or when witnessing inappropriate advances.

One reason many people don’t interrupt is that they believe it’s none of their business and not their problem.

Truth: Violence is everyone’s problem. We are all affected by violence in our communities.

Another reason is fear about making a big deal out of nothing.

Truth: Any kind of violence is a big deal, from screaming at someone to grabbing someone’s arm. If it seems wrong to you, it probably is.

I’m not advocating that people risk their own safety in order to be an active bystander.

But the public should consider these six steps offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology the next time something seems to be amiss:

1. Notice an occurrence that’s out of the ordinary.

2. Decide “in your gut” that something is amiss or unacceptable

3. Ask yourself, “Could I play a role here, and if no one intervenes, what will likely happen?”

4. Assess your options for giving help.

5. Determine the potential risks of taking action.

6. Decide whether to act at that time or later.

And, of course, there is always the immediate assistance of calling 911.

Jenny Lynn Anderson lives in Statesboro and is the author of “Room 939: 15 Minutes of Horror, 20 Years of Healing.”